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Coco Fusco

Coco Fusco, an established “interdisciplinary” artist and writer, has expanded her career by continuous experimentation, becoming a chairwoman, performer, lecturer, and exhibitionist of art, but also a producer and editor of her own films. She was born and raised in New York, and is of Cuban descendant. Looking at her works, I can happily consider her of the avant-garde and feminism movement of art. Fusco is a woman who makes a loud statement of what she believes in. Her experimentations branch out into electronic media, multi-media productions, and live performances.

“The Couple in the Cage”, is one of the performance stunts that stands out to me, there is a staggering amount of meaning in this piece of art. It represents so many factors of how we view each other as a race. She explores racism, sexism, human rights, freedom of speech, and stereotypes. Her work is a state of identity, and can be, not compared to, but be placed along side the work of Renee Fox, and the author Malorie Blackman (known for “Noughts and Crosses” and “Pig Heart Boy”); who openly explore what makes them different but the same. Fusco breaks the barriers of her colour, her origin to speak out to people of all skin tones, of all genders.

The Couple in the Cage, starring Coco Fusco and Paula Heredia.

When I look at this piece of visual work by Fusco, which uses still life, body paint art, history, I see it not just looking back at the African natives being treated as slaves, exploited for their bodies, but also a tribute to the past natives of other countries, like indigenous people of the Americas, the people of Mesopotamia, the exploitation of their culture, which was incredibly different to our own. It led to disastrous things, whether it was the extermination to their race, culture, or the white people forcing them to live like white people. This woman is openly standing up for them, making the viewer enjoy the work, but reminding some of the majority of what their ancestors had done, letting the viewer marvel upon an odd experience and explore a guilt trip at the same time.